19 years Later
by Poppy67
Summary: Ron and Hermione seeing off Rose at King's Cross station


Disclosure: Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger belong to Jo Rowling. I have issue with the epilogue of the movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2…I felt Ron and Hermione would have been much more demonstrative and loving towards one another and especially Ron towards Rose, as this is his little Rosie leaving the family and going off to school.

"Where is he now?" Hermione called to her son Hugo from an upstairs bedroom. She was a bit stressed but trying her best not to show it in front of her equally stressed daughter Rose. They had been packing for days. Tomorrow Rose would be boarding the train to Hogwarts for the first time.

"The clock says he's at the Ministry mum." Hugo yelled back up the stairs as he bit into an apple.

"Oh Thank God." Hermione said after taking a deep breath and awkwardly smiling at her daughter. This past week, Hermione had of course been worrying while desperately trying to maintain a calm outward appearance for the kids, but now, Ron was close and she knew definitely he would make it home in time to see his Rose off.

"Why, Thank God?" Rose asked…

"Hmm?" Hermione answered as she began taking out some of the contents of Rose's trunk and going over her list of requirements again.

"Mum…?" Rose could tell her mum was busying herself and avoiding the question.

Rose was the spitting image of her dad, tall for her age, freckles across her nose and along with her little brother the fiery copper hair of the Weasley clan. Her temperament was more like her mother's though. She was exceedingly bright but could be a fuss pot and a worrier when it came to her studies and her family. As much as people loved reminding her that she was so like her mother, she was a daddy's girl. Daddy was an Auror and as much fun as he was at home, she knew enough from listening to her parent's conversations to know that he had a dangerous job which took him away from them sometimes weeks on end. He'd currently been gone for Four days, but had promised her and her mother that he would be home today as he wouldn't miss her leaving for school for anything in the world.

Hermione stopped fussing around and sat on Rose's bed. "Well last night Pigwidgeon became extremely fidgety…"

"You mean more than usual?" Rose asked.

Hermione gave a little laugh and pulled Rose down next to her on the bed and into a hug. "Yeah, just a bit. I thought he was going to wake you kids up with all the racket he was making. As soon as I opened the window off he flew. He came back early this morning with a note from Dad saying he might be delayed but would try his best to be home by this afternoon. I shouldn't have been worried though as your dad would move heaven and earth for you and there would be no way he'd miss spending your last night at home with us."

"I spoke to Jamie and Albus and they said that Uncle Harry has been home for days now."

"Yes, I know. As soon as I found out Harry was at home, I sent Pig over and demanded to know where daddy was and for him to not send Pig back without an answer. He said, he of course, couldn't say but that Ron was safe and would be arriving home in a day or so."

"Mum, Hugo yelled from downstairs, Daddy's traveling."

"What?" Hermione and Rose both exclaimed as they jumped up and made their way downstairs to the family clock.

Hugo was standing there with his half eaten apple when he was joined by his mum and sis.

"Can you tell if he's traveling to home?" Rose asked as she stared at the dial with her father's picture.

"Well, it does look as if it's leaning to home." Said Hermione.

"I don't know, Hugo piped up, it sort of looks as if it's leaning away from home from this angle."

Hermione stepped in front of Hugo closer to the clock, and tilted her head to the left, while Rose was on the other side tilting her head to the right. When Ron walked up to the back of them and saw what they were all looking at, he didn't say a word; he just plucked the apple out of Hugo's hand and finished it to the core.

"What are we all looking at…?"

Hermione and Rose both gave a start and screamed as they joined Hugo who was already hugging his father around the waist.

Rose and Hugo did not let go of their father even while he kissed their mum deeply and smiled as he rested his fore-head on hers. Once Hermione detached herself, Ron bent down and gave each of his children a long and hearty hug. He picked them both up and even-if Hugo pretended he was getting too old for this, he held onto his father all the same. He wasn't a worrier like his mum and sis, but he did love when his father was home as he was so much fun.

"What's for supper? I'm starving."

"Daddy, you're always starving." Rose said as her mum smiled.

"What can I say? Ron answered his daughter as he pulled his children down to the sofa to sit with him…I love your mum's cooking."

"Nice try, Hermione said as she folded her arms. Since you're home, we're going over to the muggle side and eat at a nice restaurant."

Hermione didn't notice the wink Ron gave to both his children and they were careful not to let her see the joy on their faces as well. As the daughter of two dentists, it wasn't often Ron was able to convince Hermione to let the kids or himself indulge in a bit of junk food.

"Oh, yeah, right Ron tried to respond with as much fake disappointment as possible…McDonalds it is then…"

Hermione held her tongue as the looks on both the kids and Ron's face made her laugh to think that they all considered McDonalds to be a "nice" restaurant.

After they made it back home, Hugo raced through his shower and jumped into bed. Ron secretly gave Pig his own small order of cold fries as he'd been such a good owl this past week. He wandered to Rose's room and sat on her bed as she and Hermione were just deciding if they should open up her trunk and go over the contents again.

"No, Ron said, absolutely not. Rosie get into this bed and Hermione, I just left Hugo, I thought I heard him saying he had a stomach ache."

" A…what…?" Hermione raced out of the room and down the hall muttering about this being the last time they all went out to McDonalds.

Ron smiled at Rose as he whispered sheepishly that he could have heard Hugo wrong which made Rose laugh.

"Daddy, will you miss me?"

"Will I miss you? Ron asked incredulously. Ron sat back down on Rose's bed and hugged her close. Of course, I'm going to miss you petal."

"Will you come and visit me?"

Ron recognized this bit of Hermione in their usually very confident daughter, but he knew both his girls well enough to know every now and again they just needed that extra bit of comfort which he loved providing. "Yes, we're scheduled to come the 2nd week of October and we've already got permission to stay in the castle so we'll be able to eat meals with you as well as take you exploring around all the secret passageways your mum and uncle and I discovered when we were young."

After a few more whispered words, Ron tucked Rose in and gave her a kiss good-night.

The car was all packed, Hermione and Rose were in the back seat and Hugo was in the front trying for the third time to convince his father to allow him to drive or rather fly the family to the train station. Ron didn't have to even look at Hermione to know that the collective parental answer was No to Hugo but Ron thought as a treat when they returned home; he would wait until Hermione was stuck in paperwork from her job, and let Hugo take him up in the car, for a small fly around.

As Hermione kissed and held tight to Rose, Ron bent down and caressed her cheek, told her to look out for her cousins and not to let them get into too much mischief. Rose always felt important when her daddy gave her tasks such as this…

"You know Fred and Jamie can be really rambunctious, so look out for Albus and don't let them play too many pranks on him."

"I won't…" Rose said with a small catch in her throat as she hugged her daddy tighter.

"Good girl, now give your brother a nice big hug so that mummy can get you settled on the train."

Hugo, not a big fan of hugs generally, for once, didn't squirm away.

After the kids were all settled, Ginny and Harry joined Ron and Hermione waving as the train began pulling away. Ron put his arm around Hermione's shoulder, which comforted him as much as her. They were such a tight little unit, so happy to see Rose go off to Hogwarts but so sad as well. October couldn't come fast enough.

The End.

I can't express how much I LOVE Ron and Hermione…to see the movie epilogue where Ron is just standing there not interacting with his family except for a look and small smile…No…not acceptable…I do respect all who loved the movie epilogue but it just wasn't for me.


End file.
